Agnostic.com

5 14

"Comparisons of Religion and Fascism"

Both have one supreme leader...
Both attempt to convince and convert unwilling non-adherents...
Both are didactic and reactionary...
Both demand complete adherence to doctrine...
Both are incompatible with Democracy...
Both have a militaristic hierarchy...
Both make extensive use of propaganda and lies...
Both employ symbolism...
Both demand unquestioning obedience...
Both employ oaths and ritual practices...
Both expect of their adherents that which they themselves eschew...
Both resist reform...
Both appeal largely to the least educated (with the exception of their leaders)...

fishline79 7 Jan 17
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

5 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

2

From an essay I wrote some years ago

Both Professor Stuart Hall in 1979 and in 2004 by Dr. Laurence Britt wrote articles defining the major points in identifying extreme nationalism and or fascism, just as a thought experiment I took their criteria adapted and applied it to religion

  1. An easily identifiable symbol to rally too.
  2. Specific terms/ code words or euphemisms exclusive to the group.
  3. Powerful and continuing expressions of belonging to a chosen or special race.
  4. Praising of a Mythological golden age of your ideology that give rights of rule by dynastic or spiritual heritage to all members and especially to leaders
  5. Being included in and party to sacred mysticism denied to less worthy others
  6. Physical Body Worship combined with reminders of spiritual unworthiness
  7. Disdain for the importance of human rights especially those of outsiders
  8. Suppression of the rights of the individual in favour of the group and the greater good
  9. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause
  10. The supremacy of the physical and or spiritual power broker
  11. Institutionalised sexism
  12. A controlled mass media
  13. Obsession with internal security and or secrecy
  14. Religion and ruling elite tied together
  15. Power of corporations protected
  16. Power of labour suppressed or eliminated
  17. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts
  18. Obsession with crime and punishment
  19. Rampant cronyism and corruption
  20. A pretence at democracy including Fraudulent elections or sustaining of the leadership

@altschmerz it's not on line just in my old university files

Very good. I think we're both in the same park. Mine is just a bit more succinct and would make a better "poster". They both make the point.😉

0

Religion ... pure and faultless is this: to help widows and orphans in need and avoiding worldly corruption. James 1:27

Which religion are you talking about?

Word Level 8 Jan 17, 2021

Well, the problem is that NO RELIGION is "pure and faultless." And, if only Jesus was pure and faultless, the rest of us being sinners from the moment of our birth, and this being the reason for needing salvation, how could religion ever be pure and faultless?

@Joanne what religion are you talking about? You are implying a different definition for religion that has nothing to do with the religion of helping widows and orphans while avoiding worldly corruption.

@Joanne are you talking about the religion of giving sarcasm worship to the non-existent flying spaghetti monster sky God making fun of Christians?

@Word. I am saying that no pure and faultless religion exists. Christianity is not simply about taking care of widows and orphans in practice and it never has been; and I don't know of any religion that is.

@Joanne I am not talking about christianity. I am referring to the religion of helping widows and orphans while avoiding worldly corruption.

@Word I think you are referring to a way of life rather than a religion. Theravada Buddhism is the closest to your description that I know of in practical terms. And as there is no god involved in that branch of Buddhism it can't really be described as a religion. If you can add any thing else to enlighten me I would be pleased to hear it.

@Paul_Clamberer just google search.

Showing results for religions without a god
Search instead for religions with out a god

Jainism is a religion without a belief in a creator god.
University of Bolton › Worldviews
Summary of Religions and Beliefs | University of Bolton

@Paul_Clamberer then, ad I have researched "religion". A way to give a modern interpretation of what was originally ment would be to use the word "responsibility ". from Old French, or from Latin religio(n- ) ‘obligation, bond, reverence’, perhaps based on Latin religare ‘to bind’.

If you are to be bound to something as in 'to bind" it could be like saying you are tied to having a responsibility.

@Word My dictionary (shorter OED) doesn't seem to separate the word religion from the worship of, or belief in, a gods or a god. In this light, Jainism is more a way of life, I would have thought. Possibly your dictionary is different

@Paul_Clamberer I understand dictionaries can have some differences between brands. Most often, I think, dictionary would have most popular common usage but at times list that words may have different meanings. It just depends on the dictionary editors.

@Word As for Janism, Sure thing, but a difficult one to follow. Be careful while walking, you might step on an ant, and becareful about breathing, you might kill a microbe. I'll pass on that one!

@Word You brought Christianity to the forefront by quoting James--from the New Testament of the bible.

@Joanne I understand christianity is as well derived from biblical text. But, just to use, read or quote from biblical text does not make me nor the topic quoted to be Christian.

There are things Christian that are not considered biblical. And, there are biblical things not considered christian. So, you only assumed it was Christian related because biblical text was used.

1

So true! Couldn't say it any better!

1

All major and minorities style religions as well as revolutionary movements seem to digress in the same try and true methods of indoctrination and cult legacy!!!

4

You seem to know your history well. Hitler, Mussolini are perfect examples of this.

In Nazi Germany Schools indoctrinated children that the Germans were the “Master Race”. They were taught that the “Head of state was the voice of god”. They understood that indoctrination worked best when children were young.

@powder Can we just agree that extremism of any kind is best to be avoided, or are there any Sophists out there who want to argue on the virtues of extremism?

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:569703
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.